Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-04-21
AN OSTRICH RACE.

A female ostrich is years old before she
produces any eggs; but she will produce her
first crop of feathers at the end Of the first
year. Every seven months thereafter her
feathers are ready for market. She will pro-
duce about twenty-five very fine feathers and
a large number of less valuable ones. The
feathers are not plucked, but are cut off quite
close to the skin with large shears The op-
Grafton is said to be painless; at least the men
who cut the feathers say so, and the ostriches
have not contradicted it. A week after the
cutting the stubs dry and shrivel to such an
extent that they are easily removed
The longest and finest white feathers are
worth S4 piece at wholesale, and good ordi-
nary feathers 5000 pound. The first clip
pings from young birds average $40 in value.
After a farm is stocked, if all goes well, the
returns on the investment are large.
The Matching is mostly done by incubators.
This relieves the feminine ostrich's mind from
much maternal responsibility. She can keep
her feathers slick, step around at leisure and
be as giddy as she pleaSes. She even has time
to vote and attend missionary meetings if she
wants to; and as for gossip she can drink her
FILL Speaking of drink reminds me that the
old idea that ostriches seldom or never re-
quire water has been exploded. They not
only drink frequently, but they show de-
cided fondness for the bath. DR.. Sketchley
keeps water trough in each pen large
enough to afford the birds ample bathing ia
cilities.
When it comes to age these monster birds
are little short of immortal. Nobody knows
Just what their average age is In Africa
some of them are known to be over so years
old
Corn and alfalfa constitute their food. AL
falfa is beautiful plant of the Luzerne fam
ily. This menu causes the ostrich to produce
more feathers and Of a better quality than
any other diet.
The doctors farm is a sort of colony. Each
male is mated, and the pair are set up in
housekeeping with two acres of ground The
land is fenced off into lots of an acre each.
The two birds are kept in one of these lots
until they have eaten Off all the alfalfa, when
they are transferred to the other, and are
kept alternating from one to the other ali the
time.
Foot races between the ostriches are inter
esting diversions. l had the good fortune to
see one We stood in broad, open space
between the ostrich pens and the house The
door of one of the pens was opened, and IN
response to the doctors call two massive birds
came running toward him. He caressed them
a moment and showed them handful of figs
They like figs overmuch. Two men then
threw nooses about their legs, and we walked
away a quarter of mile. Then at signal
from US the birds We're released, and the race
began And what a race! No professional
runners on human legs could ever dream OF
making such time. At every stride they coV-
cred from eleven to fourteen feet. Their great
necks were stretched forward and upward to
their longest limit and their wings were
working like the arms of a powerful engine.
Like the wind when it pushes the storm cloud
they came. They kept nearly abreast for
about half the distance, and then one began
to forge ahead. He increased his lead TIL
within a short distance of us, when he glanced
back and saw that his competitor was con-
siderably in the rear. Then ho slackened MS
pace, relaxed his neck, and jogging up to the
doctor got his figs and several well earned
caresses.
Ornithologists say that the stride OF the